


Something's Going On...

by DrChickenSlinger



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, Post Sasuke retrieval arc, because that's how ninja's show they care, canonverse, gaara is trying his best to be better, lee sees that and loves him for it, neji and tenten being good pals, post chuunin exams, spying on lee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 06:49:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18005915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrChickenSlinger/pseuds/DrChickenSlinger
Summary: Tenten and Neji have noticed that Gaara and Lee have been spending a lot of time together.  But it had only been a short while since Gaara had tried to kill Lee.  Is something going on that they should be worried about?





	Something's Going On...

Something was going on. She wasn’t sure what it was, but Tenten didn’t like it. Ever since Gaara and Lee battled Kimimaro, they were inseparable. Sure, fighting a weird alien guy with bone swords can do a lot to bond people, but this much? She still didn’t trust Suna, especially after the quick turn around they had once Konoha won and Orochimaru had fled. Tenten didn’t like people with weak spines, and Suna seemed too wishy washy. And hadn’t Gaara tried to kill Lee? Not once, but twice? So why were they spending so much time with each other?

A kunai whirled past Neji into a training post, clipping off a few strands of his hair. “We need to talk,” came the voice of his close friend and teammate.

Neji huffed and turned to face her. “I told you for the last time, I’m not the one that touched your gold plated shuriken. Why do you even need that anyway? Gold is one of the softest metals, and it’s expensive. Seems like a waste of-”

Tenten clapped a hand over his mouth, meeting his cold stare with an equally lethal look. “Would you shut up already? Not everything’s about you. I’m talking about Lee.”

Neji sighed and rolled his eyes, shifting out from under her hand. “Tenten, we’ve already tried to get Lee and Gai-sensei to stop wearing those ridiculous outfits. It’s a lost cause. Better to just accept their horrible fashion sense and move on with our lives.”

Tenten rubbed her temples, a migraine quickly forming. “Neji. Do you ever stop talking?”

“Why, yes,” he said, crossing his arms and smirking at her. “Sometimes I’m sleeping.”

She laughed and punched him in the arm. He tried not to wince.

“So, what’s really going on?” Neji asked, walking to sit under the shade of a large tree. Tenten sat next to him, leaning her head onto his shoulder, resting comfortably. Being teammates meant they, as well as Lee and even Gai-sensei, were very comfortable with each other. They were never afraid to offer support in anyway that was needed, and for that they were each grateful. Though, some of them weren’t as open about it.

“Something is going on with Lee and Gaara. They haven’t left each other’s side since they came back from the fight. I know that the Suna nin will be leaving soon, but I can’t help but worry that there’s something deeper going on. I mean, Gaara did a lot of harm to Lee. Lee forgives so easily, I worry about him trusting too quickly for the sake of a friendship or village bonds. I don’t want Gaara picking up too much on that trust and using it to hurt Lee or anyone else.”

Neji listened to Tenten ramble on. He, too, had noticed that Lee and Gaara spent a lot of time together. He didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, hoping that Lee would recognize any signs of danger himself, but sometimes he needed a bit of help in this area.  
Tenten paused in her rant and looked at Neji. “Am I crazy?” she asked, distress poking at the edges of her voice.

Neji grunted and stood up, offering a hand to Tenten. “I don’t think you’re crazy. You have good reason to be worried. Lee forgives very easily, even if someone tries to murder him. Multiple times. That’s just how Lee is, and he will probably always be like that. And I know that red headed kid is strong, stronger than any of us realized, apparently. But does he seem emotionally aware enough to pick up on something like that?”

Tenten stretched, staring at Neji with a confused look on her face. ‘What do you mean ‘emotionally aware enough?’”

“Well, I heard from some of the Hyuuga leaders that he had a hard childhood. Neglected by his family, feared by his caretakers. His mom died giving birth to him. That’s something that messes you up. Changes you. Trust me, I would know.” Neji walked over to the training post he was using before, eyes cast down. Since the chuunin exams, he had been a lot more open about his past and his hardships, but it was still hard for him to talk about his experiences, even to his teammates. He pulled the kunai Tenten had thrown at him earlier and handed it over to her.

“I guess that’s true…” Tenten said, eyebrows screwed in concentration, thinking hard. She hefted the kunai back and forth between her hands. Neji kept his eyes on the weapon, scared of what she might do considering the earlier close call. Not that she was aiming for him. He hoped.

“I think we’ll just have to leave it alone,” Neji sighed, walking away from the training grounds.

“Or…” Tenten purred, following along behind Neji casually. He turned to face her, left eyebrow cocked and arms crossed.

“Or?”

“Or we could follow them around and try and see what’s going on. It will be good practice for us and we can make sure Lee is okay.”

“You want me to spend my time off from missions spying on Lee? As if we aren’t together enough as it is?”

“Yep!” Tenten grinned, walking past Neji and towards one of Lee’s favorite training ground.

Neji smirked at her back and quickly followed. It’s not like he had anything better to do anyway.

Neji soon found himself stuck high up in a tree, wishing he had had something better to do. Tenten was a few branches down, checking the grounds directly in front of them while Neji used his Byakugan to investigate the surrounding forest.

“I know Lee said he was planning on doing some training here sometime today,” Tenten murmured, tongue poking out in concentration as she continued to survey the empty field. “I assumed Gaara would be with him seeing how they’re practically joined at the hip now.”

Suddenly, Neji inhaled sharply and dropped down to Tenten’s branch, pulling her up higher.

“What? What are you doing?” she yelled, pulling his arm off of her.

“Shut up!” Neji whispered urgently, continuing to pull. “Gaara and Lee headed this way, seven o clock!”

Tenten grinned and jumped gracefully up into the branch Neji had previously occupied. He followed quickly after her, his foot disappearing just in time as Gaara and Lee came into view.

“Gaara-kun, you are so funny!” they heard Lee say between laughs. Whatever “Gaara-kun” had said must have been amusing to the both of them, as Gaara also had a small smile on his face. His cheeks were tinted pink, which seemed weird to Tenten, seeing as he was from a desert and knew how to protect himself from a sunburn. She threw a questioning glance at Neji who just shrugged his shoulders. They draped themselves over the branches in a more comfortable position, ensuring that the other was hidden amongst the leaves.

They continued to watch the two boys who seemed to be starting taijutsu warm ups.

“Gaara-kun, I cannot believe you have not studied the youthful art of taijutsu! Gai-sensei says that using your muscles in a powerful study is the best way to capture the passion and fire of our glorious youth!” Lee said, his voice ringing through the field. Neji and Tenten simultaneously rolled their eyes, both having heard that phrase be said- and then repeated by Lee- several times. A quieter voice was then heard, barely pushed up to them by the light breeze blowing.

“I never really had anyone to teach me, nor did I have much use for it with the way my sand works.”

Lee’s distant figure nodded sagely at Gaara. “I understand. But it is very important to learn, if not to use in fighting, then to keep your body at top physical form!” Gaara nodded back, slightly less sure than Lee, but enthusiastic nonetheless. Lee took him through a few of the basic forms, showing him how to control his breathing to allow him to redirect his energy in the most impactful way. He then moved on to teaching Gaara how to punch, touching him lightly to correct his figure. Neji was dozing slightly when a screech was heard through the grounds. He snapped up, falling off of his branch, only to be grabbed and righted by Tenten who smacked him on the back of his head. They soon discovered the reasoning behind the scream as it turned into Lee… cooing?

“Gaara-kun! Your hands are so tiny!” Lee said, holding Gaara’s tiny hands in his own rough, strong ones. “No wonder, you are so good with your sand, I’m sure tiny hands allow for much more precise control!”

Tenten noticed that the sunburn on Gaara’s face was getting worse. Lee needed to get that kid some water before he passed out. Tenten and Neji watched as Lee went on about Gaara’s tiny hands, comparing them to his larger ones when suddenly he grabbed one and kissed the tip of his pointer finger.

This time it was Tenten who fell out of the tree. But Neji was too dumbstruck to catch her so she fell on the ground with a thud and a loud moan. That pulled Neji out of his confused stupor and he quickly jumped down to help her. They tried to hide before Lee noticed, but the two boys were shinobi and were bound to get killed if they didn’t notice something as loud as that.

Lee rushed over to Tenten as Gaara whipped sand out of his gourd. It began chasing after Lee, holding him back and wrapping around Tenten and Neji, the supposed enemy.

“Tenten? Neji? What are you guys doing here?” Lee asked, large eyebrows knit in confusion as he tried to push through the sand.

“You know these two?” Gaara asked, sand retreating slightly from it’s place. 

“Oh, yes! Sorry, Gaara-kun, you may remove your sand. Thank you for trying to protect me!” he said, beaming at him as he stood a few paces away. “These are my teammates, Neji and Tenten. They are truly extraordinary shinobi!” 

They eyed Gaara warily as he glared back, an old habit he hadn’t kicked yet. He knew and trusted Lee, but he didn’t know these two. He was worried about the things they would say or do. But if someone as big-hearted as Lee could trust them, he supposed he could too. He moved to stand next to Lee, pressing his arm into Lee’s side and removing all space between them.

“Hello. I’m Gaara.”

“Er, it’s nice to meet you,” Tenten said, closing the distance between them and extending a hand. Gaara looked at the hand and back up to Tenten, making no moves to shake it. 

“Sorry, Gaara is a little… weird about touching. Isn’t that right, Gaara?” Lee asked, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Even he could feel the tension in the air and was growing increasingly uncomfortable. He loved his teammates more than he could ever say. But he now liked Gaara too! Maybe in a different way… But he liked him nonetheless.

Gaara leaned further into Lee, and nodded.

Neji walked up to stand next to Tenten and nodded a greeting at Gaara. He looked between the two boys, confusion growing evident on his face.

“If you don’t like being touched, why are you all over Lee?” he asked, crossing his arms.

Gaara’s forehead scrunched down in confusion and annoyance. He looked up at Lee to explain, but he didn’t know what to say either. They stayed silent for a few minutes, each assessing the other while Lee tried to come up with a way to break the awkward silence. 

“...Right. Well, Gaara-kun and I are just about done here. Would you like to join us for some curry?” Lee asked, breaking the thick silence with his offer. A panicked look swept across Gaara’s face momentarily before it smoothed back into the stern unbothered expression he normally wore. The moment was brief, but didn’t go unnoticed by Tenten.

“Actually, Lee, I think we’ll pass. You two have fun, Neji and I have somewhere to be.” Tenten turned and pushed Neji away who was spluttering about being hungry and wanting to go.

“Wait,” a commanding voice rang from behind them. Annoyed by the authoritative tone, Tenten whipped around and locked her glare on Gaara.

“It was nice to meet you. Tenten. Neji.” Gaara stumbled through the farewell, but managed to bow slightly to each of them. They stood in shock, barely able to manage a “you too” before Lee wrapped his arm around Gaara and turned him away, beaming.

“Gaara, you are so soft! I am so used to hugging Gai-sensei, but you are squishier than a ball of mochi!” Lee said, voice fading as the distance grew between the pairs.

“...What just happened?” Neji asked, rubbing his temples as his migraine grew to match Tenten’s.

“I think Gaara has a crush on Lee…” Tenten said incredulously, shaking her head as if it would help organize her thoughts. Instead it just made her migraine worse.

“So that’s all that was going on? No village conspiracy? No plan to try and break Lee’s bones again? What do we do?” Neji asked, pacing slightly. 

“What do you mean what do we do?” Tenten grumbled putting a fist on her hip. “We support Lee. We support Gaara. What more can we do?”

“I don’t know about you, but I would like to forget this ever happened.” Neji said, rubbing his eyes. Tenten smirked and sighed at her friend.

“Come on, Neji, you don’t have a romantic bone in your body. Don’t you remember what Gai-sensei said? ‘A youthful fighting spirit when engaged in battle can spur on passion and love between two dedicated shinobi!’” Tenten said, pointing her finger out towards the horizon, voice booming in a passable impression of Gai-sensei’s. They laughed at Tenten’s recitation at their beloved sensei, wiping tears from their eyes and using each other for support. “Come on. Let’s go get dango.”

Tenten slung an arm over Neji’s shoulder as he walked with crossed arms. Somewhere on the opposite side of the village, Lee was chatting Gaara’s ear off over a bowl of curry. At some point in the conversation, Lee’s hand had slipped into Gaara’s. But he didn’t mind, as touch starved as he was. But Neji had brought up a good point. Why was Lee the only one he was comfortable with touching? It took him a couple of years to figure it out, but eventually he was able to pick up on what Tenten had found out the very first time meeting him. Gaara was in love with Rock Lee. And Lee was in love with him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Quick little fic I decided to write, I hope you enjoy! Thank you as always to the GaaLee Biker Gang server for the support and for the idea of a squishy slightly chunkier Gaara, which I absolutely love the idea of. Also thank you to my spouse Freddy (gaarasgay on tumblr and dominopes on ao3) for the idea about Gaara's tiny hands! 
> 
> Please check out these fic writers if you want some more amazing GaaLee fics!  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_gay_poster  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/ContrEeri  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/dominopes  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManaBanana  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelic_shapeshifter
> 
> Thanks for reading!! Have a fantastic day :)


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